Attachment for cycloramic-scenery battens



R. C. SC HEURER AND F. G. GREENBERG.

ATTACHMENT FOR CYCLORAMIC SCENERY BATTENS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1920.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Fred G. Greenberg BY 1 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES R. C. SCHEURER AND F. G/GREENBERG. ATTACHMENT FOR CYCLORAMIC SCENERY BATTENS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY26,1920

Patented Apr. 19, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Fred G. sreer ber ATTORNEY ROBERT C. SCHEURER, F NEST HOBQKEN, AND FRED G. GREENBERG, OF UNION HILL,

NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHMENT FOR GYCLORAIVTIC-SCENERY BATTENS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 19, 1921,

Application filed May 26, 1920. Serial No. 364,432.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ROBERT C. Sonnunnn and FRED G. GREENen-Rc, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, andUnion Hill, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Gycloraniic- Scenery Battens, of which the following is a description.

Our invention relates to theatrical scenery and has referencemore particularly to cycloramic scenery, that is to say, scenery which extends across the back of the stage and forwardly at the sides affording a cycloramic view. Scenery of the indicated character is attached at its upper edge to a batten ranging across the back of the stage and also to side battens.

The general object of our invention is to provide an attachment that may be applied to the back batten and having means to secure the side battens thereto in such a manner that when the battens with the scene are being raised and lowered to and from the flies, the side battens will hang pendent in the same general vertical plane as the back batten, whereby to clear adjacent scenic elements and other adjacent objects.

The nature of the invention, its distinctive features and advantages will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of two examples of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of aback batten and a side batten connected therewith by our improved attachment, the scenery fragment being indicated as extending along both battens;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the side batten lowered, hanging pendent as when being raised or lowered;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment, parts being broken away and others in section; V

Fig. 4 is a detail in cross section on the line H, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the attachment;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6, Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the invention in another form. I

In Figs. 1 and 2 a fragment of scenery is indicated at A, the side portion of the same being. indicated by the letter A. In practice, the scenery is attached at the upper edge thereof to the back batten B by cords a and similarly secured to the side battenB. Our improved attachment includes an elernent 10 adapted to be applied to the back batten B at each end, one of said attachments being shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said element in the preferred construction of our invention having a saddle form to be dropped onto the back batten B. The element 10 is slidable along the batten for positioning it at the proper point and means is provided to secure it in adjusted position, there being indicated for the urpose binding screws 11 at a side of said e ement to engage-the back batten.

The element 10 presents a cylindric for mation at the exterior to receive a turnable element 12, loose thereon. Said element 12 is generally of ring-form and includes upper and lower clamp sections and a block 15 to which said sections are pivoted as at 14;, said element being revolubly -mounted on the exterior of the element 10 between flanges 13 thereon. The arrangement is such that the saddle 10 can be dropped onto the batten B and then the element 12 applied with on section thereof to extend about the element 10 closing the open side thereof beneath the batten. The clamp sections at their free ends present parallel lugs 16 to one of which a bolt 17 is pivoted as at 18 to swing into or out of a slot 19 in the other lug, and a wing nut 20 on thebolt serves to bind the clamp sections together but sufiiciently loose to be permitted turning movement about the element 10. An arm 21 is adapted to receive one end of the side batten B and is secured to block 15 by a vertical pivot 22 to swing laterally, relatively to said block, whereby said arm 21 and the side batten B may be positioned at various angles to the back batten B to dispose the side A of the scenery in cycloramic relation to the back portion A thereof.

Said arm 21 preferably is of box-like form to constitute a socket for the side batten B and a portion 23 at one side is removable and is clamped in posit-ion after the inserticn of the side batten by clamp screws 24: passing through lugs 25, 25 on the body of the box and on said removable side member.

In Fig. 7 a form of the invention is shown adapted to round battens usually made of lengths ofpipe for which purpose the saddle like element 10 presents an opening rounded at the top to properly seat on the curved surface of a round back batten (not shown). At the lower portion of said element we provide oblique set screws 11 to bind against the batten at the under side. The turnable element 12 in the form shown in F 1g. is the same as previously described, the section thereof being pivoted by transverse pivots to a block 15 substantially the same as the block 15 but having a socket 21 round in cross section and presenting a threaded bore 23 into which the round side batten shown) is pivoted by a vertical pivot 22 toblock 15 The side batten B is in practice made or sections slidable one on the other and these are clamped in adjusted positlon by a clamp band 26 of unbroken continuity adapted to be secured adjacent to one end of one batten section as by screws 27 indicated 111 Fig. 1 but permitting the other section of the batten to slide through said band. A second clamp band 28 has a removable side 29 adapted to besecured in binding relation on the batten by clamp screws 30. As seen in Fig. l the side batten B is in horizontal position and swung desired angle to the back batten B the arm 21 carrying said side batten permltting an desired lateral movement or" the side batten, to display the scenery A in cycloramic form, Fig. 2 shows the side batten dropped to a (not vertical position for permitting the back and side battens with the scenery A, A thereon to be raised or lowered to or from the flies. The turning movement permitted the element 12 carrying the block 15 and arm 21 permits the side batten to assume a ver tical position beneath the back batten B and in the plane thereof so as not to project forwardly as the battens are being raised or lowered and hence the structure will be without liability of catching on adjacent objects. Also, when the arm21 with the side batten is dropped to the vertical lowered position smooth round portions of the turnable element 12 will be presented at the back and front of the back batten, thereby further making for the clearing of adjacent objects without danger of catching thereon/ l/Ve would state in conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute prac tical embodiments of our invention, we do not limit ourselves strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestl the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An attachment for cycloramic scenery may be screwed. Said socket 21 laterally at the be disposed in the normal raised position for supporting the scene an approximately the first element.

2. An attachment for cycloramic scenery battens, including an element having means to secure the same to a back batten, an element turnably mounted 011 the first element to swing vertically, and means carried by said turnable element and adapted to secure a side batten, said second-mentioned means being swingable laterally on the turnable element and being turnable with the latter about the first element.

3. An attachment for cyclorainic scenery battens, including an element adapted to be secured to a back batten, and an element turnably mounted on the first element to swing vertically and having means to secure a side batten thereto, to permit the side batten to be disposed in the normal raised position for supporting the scene at thesides, or to an approximately vertical position beneath the first element, said second element being in the form of a clamp attachable to and. detachable from the first element.

4. An attachment for'cycloramic scenery battens, including a saddle-like element adapted to be applied slidably to a back batten, an element thereon formed of clam) sections to close the open side of the saddlelike element when the clamp is closed and to permit removal of the saddle-like element when the clamp is open, and means on said clamp element adapted to support a side batten.

5. An attachment for cyeloramic s'cenery battens, including 2. adapted to be slipped on to a back batten aving means to bind it in position, an element turnable on said first element to swing vertically thereof, and an arm on said second element pivoted to swing laterally and adapted to be secured to a side batten, said second element presenting clamp members adapted to removably engage the first element.

6. An attachment for cycloramie scenery battens, comprising a saddle-like element presenting spaced flanges at the exterior, an element turnably mounted on said first element between said flanges to swing vertically and including clamp means to detachably hold it loosely in position on said first element, and an arm carried by said second element and held thereto by a vertical pivot to swing laterally.

7. An attachment for eycloramic scenery battens, including an element adapted to at the sides orin vertical position beneath saddle-like element be secured to a back batten, an element turnably mounted on the first element, and an arm secured by a vertical pivot to the second element to swing laterally, said arm presenting a socket for receiving an end of a side batten.

8. An attachment for cycloramic scenery battens, including an element adapted to be secured to a back batten, an element turnably mounted on the first element to swing vertically, and an arm secured by a vertical pivot to the second element to swing laterally, said arm presenting a socket and having a side portion thereof removable; together with means to detachably hold said side portion in position.

9. An attachment for cycloramic scenery battens, including a saddle element adapted to be dropped onto a back batten and having a clamp screw obliquely disposed at the under side for engagement against the batten for retaining the said element in position, and a second element turnably mounted on said saddle-like element to swing vertically and extending about the same to close the open side thereof, said second element be secured to a back batten, a second element turnably mounted on the first element to turn through an arc in a vertical plane, an arm pivoted to said second element to swing laterally, and a side batten secured to said arm, said side batten comprising slidable sections whereby to vary the effective length of said side batten, and clamp means to hold said sections in adjusted position.

11. An attachment for cycloramic scenery battens, including a structure adapted to be secured to a back batten, and an element thereon swingable vertically and adapted to support a side batten on said structure either in a position extending forwardly from the front thereof or depending at the under side of said structure and in the general vertical plane thereof.

ROBERT C. SCHEURER. FRED G. GREENBERG. 

